


What I've Done

by storiesbeyondthestars



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [5]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bad Things Happen Bingo, Friends fighting, M/M, Not Beta Read, Post S7, Prompt: brainwashing, based on tumblr theories about Haggar controlling Keith
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 09:51:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15816492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/storiesbeyondthestars/pseuds/storiesbeyondthestars
Summary: Lance didn't want to have to fight Keith, he didn't want Shiro to have to fight Keith, but there really was no other way.





	What I've Done

**Author's Note:**

> **Brainwashing** was actually requested three separate times on tumblr. Once asking for **Langst** , once for **Shance** (though I was going to make this platonic even if it was a separate prompt anyway), and once for **Klance** , all by **anonymous users**. So, I tried to combine them into one. 
> 
> Note: You can request things from this site too, but it might be a good idea to remind me over on tumblr too so I don't forget!

This wasn’t Keith. It wasn’t. Those were the indigo eyes that he knew and loved, full of warmth and emotions that others didn’t always get to see. These eyes were blank, hollow, and rimmed with an eerie purple glow.  
  
Some people liked to say that Keith’s eyes were purple, but in that moment, Lance knew that they weren’t. He’d give _anything_ to never have to see actual purple in Keith’s eyes again.

Sweat rolled down his forehead as his boardsword met Keith’s, grimacing at the force of the impact. He didn’t want to do this. He didn’t want to fight Keith.

He had to though, because this was _his_ fault. Of course it was his fault. Keith trusted him as the right-hand of Voltron. He had never actually _said_ it, but Lance knew it. Keith valued the lives of others, and he would _never_ leave them in the hands of someone he thought wasn’t capable. Keith, who didn’t trust easy, trusted him.

Then Lance let him down. Let someone they _thought_ was on their side get under their skin, not realizing the danger until it was too late, _again_. First Shiro, now Keith. He was always failing others when they needed him most.

Now he didn’t know what to do. He wasn’t anywhere near the swordsman that Keith was. He was _laughably_ outclassed in that way. There was something sloppy about Keith’s movements though, like a part of him was purposely holding back. Lance didn’t want to hope too much that there was still a part of Keith there fighting against the witch’s control (however she was doing this when Lance knew that she was fighting Allura, and would have had to have all of her focus on her).

Lance grunted as he was forced backwards, stumbling over his own goddamn two feet and colliding to the ground with a grunt. Keith raised the corrupted form of the black bayard into the air, and Lance closed his eyes.

A loud clang made them snap open again, a floating metal hand keeping the blade from meeting its target. A moment later, Shiro (wasn’t he with the Atlas?) came out of nowhere, landing a punch on Keith and throwing him back to the ground. Shiro then grabbed a hold of Lance and dragged him back behind the paw of the silent Black Lion that he had flown there.

Black was Keith’s now, Lance knew that. But he had been honoured that the lion let him fly him, if only to save Keith. It meant a lot, but now Lance was doubting himself again.

“You need to go,” Shiro said to Lance, keeping an eye on Keith.

“It’s not him,” Lance said quickly. “It’s not Keith. Well, it is. But it’s not.” This wasn’t like with the clone. This was physically Keith, but Haggar had done something to his mind in an effort to turn him into her newest pawn, to try and unite the Galra Empire with Keith as the leader, which, honestly, was stupid.

Keith was a good leader for something like Voltron, but he wasn’t a diplomat. No, that strength definitely lied with Hunk and Allura. Sometimes Lance. Keith was getting better, but in his right mind, he would have been the first one to scoff at the idea.

Lance didn’t know what Haggar was trying to do, but he didn’t like it.

“It’s not like me, I know,” Shiro assured him, resting his flesh hand on his shoulder. “I know it’s really him, but you’re hurt and I don’t…I don’t want you to do this. Stay low. Get your rifle out in case we need it.”

Lance’s eyes widened. “I’m not shooting him!” Oh god, he couldn’t do that.

There was a wetness to Shiro’s eyes as he focused. “You think I want to kill my brother?” He inhaled sharply as he got ready to run. “I don’t want to ask you to do that, but think of Keith. He wouldn’t want to do this. He’d rather we take him down and you know it. Wait here.” He leapt out from behind Black’s paw and _ran_.

Lance closed his eyes as he heard the fighting. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t. He looked up towards Black, who loomed over him.

Slowly, Lance pushed himself up, bayard shifting into its sniper rifle form. With shaking hands, he looked through the scope. He couldn’t stay still, so firing at anything would probably result in him missing. He couldn’t take that risk.

Then something caught his eye. Movement from up above them, someone waiting and watching. Lance stared, a slow recognition slowly piecing itself together. He knew that person.

Holy shit, wasn’t she one of Lotor’s old generals? He knew the other two, Ezor and Zethrid, were dead, and he didn’t want to think about Acxa, but hadn’t she mentioned, in passing, that Lotor had killed the fourth one?

Hadn’t she mentioned that the fourth one’s power had to do with mind control?

Lance snapped out of his haze as he watched Keith _toss_ Shiro across the room. He yelled as the other man slammed into the floor, unconsciousness taking over.

Keith slowly approached him, and Lance found himself moving without thinking. He wasn’t going to let Keith do something that he would regret, and Lance knew that killing Shiro would be at the very top of that list.

His bayard shifted from the rifle back to the broadsword as he swung it up, once again meeting Keith’s own sword. What did Keith say this weapon’s weakness was? Something about the grip being impractical and hard to use? He couldn’t remember.

What he knew was that those glowing violet eyes were staring back at him again, and he fucking _hated_ purple on Keith now.

“I don’t want to fight you.”

“If you don’t fight, then you die. Victory or death.”

“Bullshit,” Lance grunted out. “ _You_ , Mr. I’m-Going-To-Run-Back-After-Every-Person-That-Slightly-Helps-Us, don’t believe that.” God he hated the yellow hue that overtook Keith’s normally white sclera. He hated the way his irises turned into slits. He hated the way Keith’s teeth sharpened into fangs. When it did that while protecting them before, that had been something, but now, Lance never wanted to see it again.

He cried out in surprise as Keith managed to knock him to the ground, swooping down with his sword. Lance grimaced as it caught one of his eyebrows before he could push back with the blunt part of his own sword, ignoring the trickle of warm liquid that went into his eye.

“Keith,” he spoke as he tried to force him back. “Please. Your—you’re my best friend.” He had never let himself speak those words before, because yeah, he was close to Hunk and Pidge, but he always found himself gravitating towards Keith. He hadn’t understood it at first, but he did now.

Much to his surprise, Keith actually let up slightly, blinking with surprise. The yellow of his eyes faded a couple shades, the slits of his irises rounding slightly. Holy shit, was that working? Lance had tried to remind Keith of Voltron, of his mother, of Shiro, of the universe, but nothing had gotten through to him.

If _this_ was what did, then not amount of pride or personal comfort was going to stop Lance from spilling everything.

“I can’t fight you,” Lance said, pushing back against the sword. “I can’t. I can’t kill you. I used to be so jealous of you, but then I realized we weren’t that different. Then you were my friend and when you left there was a void I didn’t completely understand, but I get it now. I meant it when I said you’re the future. I didn’t mean for the Galra or anything. I meant for _me_. You’re my best friend. Even more than Hunk. I love you more than anything or anyone else. Please.”

The irises of Keith’s eyes became round again, the sclera becoming completely white as the points of his teeth started to flatten, and he jerked back off of Lance, the smallest hint of a purple glow left over.

Lance sat up, his bayard once again switching forms. He aimed over Keith’s shoulder, pulling the trigger, landing a headshot on the _thing_ that had been controlling Keith for Haggar. Amost instantly, the glow in Keith’s eyes were gone, and the black bayard shifted, changing back into its normal form.

Keith blinked sevreral times and then looked at him. “Lance?” Though he was kneeling, his body swayed.

Jerking forward, Lance grabbed his arms to steady him. “I got you.”

With wide eyes, Keith looked at the wound that was still bleeding on his face, not to mention all the other bruises and scrapes. He started breathed rapidly. “What did I do?” Keith started to shake as the memories of everything that he had done hit him. “Oh my god. What did I do?” His head snapped up again. “Shiro!”

Lance stood, helping Keith with him and moving over towards Shiro. Keith flopping onto the ground beside the man, staring at him helplessly while Lance checked his breathing. He sighed in relief. “Looks like a bump to the head. He’ll probably be fine.” Almost as if hearing Lance, Shiro groaned and twitched a bit. “See?”

Keith whimpered, hugging himself. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Oh god. I’m so sorry. What did I do?”

Something bitter climbed up Lance’s throat. How could Keith be blaming himself? Someone else was controlling him, and it had been Lance that let him get captured. He wet his lips slightly, grimacing at the iron taste of blood. “Pidge, Hunk? Anyone? We need to get Shiro out. He’s starting to wake up but I think he’s got a concussion.” He looked at Keith, who had his face burned into his legs. “Keith needs help too.”

“You got him?” Pidge’s voice came over the comms.

“Do we need to lock him up?” Hunk asked.

“Got rid of the thing controlling him,” Lance assured them. “He’s Keith.”

As soon as it was confirmed that someone was coming to them, Lance slumped down to the floor. Shiro groaned, eyes blinking open as he looked at the other two. “Lance. Keith.” The relief in his voice was obvious. He definitely knew that this was _their_ Keith again.

Except, was it? Keith whimpered and moved away from Shiro some. Lance reached out to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder to pull him close. Keith’s body was shaking again as tears fell down his cheeks. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. What did I do?”

Shiro let his own tears fall at the sight of his suffering brother, and at the sight of his two friends (one so much more than a friend) suffering, he couldn’t hold his own back. He held onto Keith with one arm, Shiro with the other, and all three of them sobbed.

**Author's Note:**

> Click here to see my rules for [Bad Things Happen Bingo](https://storiesbeyondthestars.tumblr.com/post/177253571758/here-is-your-card-for-bad-things-happen-bingo).


End file.
